


Curiouser and Curiouser

by julien (julie)



Category: due South
Genre: Episode: s02e01 North, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1996-07-13
Updated: 1996-07-13
Packaged: 2020-10-25 03:24:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20717297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julie/pseuds/julien
Summary: Fraser is blinded and a tad delirious following their plane crash - so why is itnowof all times that he starts admiring Ray’s derriere…?





	Curiouser and Curiouser

**Author's Note:**

> **Notes:** I certainly wasn’t the only fan to love love love the episode NORTH. It seemed the ultimate in fan service at the time. I could and probably should have put out a whole issue (or two) of Pure Maple Syrup dedicated to it! 
> 
> **Warnings:** For some reason I thought it would be easy to write this piece in a light-hearted manner, but I found it incredibly difficult to do so. Probably because it is mildly dub-con - but Ray is very aware of that, and I hope you don’t mind how it all plays out. 
> 
> **First published:** 13 July 1996 in my zine Pure Maple Syrup 2

# Curiouser and Curiouser 

♦

Ray Vecchio was hiking through the forest, up hills and down dales – whatever the hell dales were – which would have been all right except he had to carry Benton Fraser at the same time, slung over Ray’s shoulder, and the Mountie was no featherweight.

It didn’t help that Fraser kept nobly volunteering to be left behind. The idea was tempting in a wicked kind of way, and Ray’s tired mind kept flitting off in happy day-dreams of putting the burden of his best friend down, walking on alone with light easy steps. But Ray Vecchio knew all too well he had no intention of saving himself at Fraser’s expense. It simply wasn’t possible for him to do that. The poor fellow was blind, nuts – even more nuts than usual – and couldn’t move his legs. He needed Ray’s help.

‘You really should go on without me,’ the Mountie was saying for the hundredth time.

‘I don’t know which of us is the biggest martyr,’ Ray muttered to himself. ‘How can I make you believe me?’ he asked Fraser. ‘I’m not going to go on without you. Wouldn’t be smart, anyway.’

‘Yes, it would. You could move a great deal faster.’

‘Look, you might have been thrown off a tad by that head injury, but you’re still the one who knows what he’s doing out here. I wouldn’t have a clue.’

‘You are coping very well,’ Fraser offered.

‘Yeah, with _your_ advice.’ Ray sighed. It was tough enough being responsible for Fraser back in Chicago, where Fraser’s innocence was of a different kind, and at least Ray was in his element. Out here –

Ray put a foot wrong on ground that suddenly wasn’t where it was meant to be. He almost took a tumble – and maybe would have just gone with the momentum if he was on his own – but for Fraser’s sake Ray grabbed at a tree and madly tried to relocate his balance.

A horrible moment later, having managed to remain upright, Ray asked, ‘You OK?’

‘Yes.’ Although maybe the man had been shaken, for he had grabbed at Ray’s hips in the middle of the stumble, and wasn’t letting go now.

‘Sorry,’ Ray offered. ‘Gotta watch where I’m going.’ He set off again. ‘It probably felt worse from where you are. Like a passenger is always more scared by a near-miss than the driver.’

Silence, and Fraser still hanging on.

Taking a firmer grasp on Fraser’s jeans, Ray said, ‘It’s OK, we’re past the rough patch. You can let go now.’

And the hands did loosen their grip, though Fraser didn’t let Ray go. Instead, the Mountie’s hands began moving, fingers digging in over the cop’s hipbones, thumbs sweeping up to his waist, then palms sliding down either side of him to the top of his thighs.

‘What the hell are you doing?’ Ray asked. It was almost like Fraser was exploring him.

‘Do you know, Ray,’ Fraser declared, ‘your hips aren’t spreading at all.’

Ray let out a disbelieving laugh. ‘Well, good,’ he said with more than a dose of sarcasm.

‘Not every man at your age can say the same. Apparently Buck Frobisher couldn’t.’ Those hands would not cease and desist. ‘But that’s as it should be. You’re in the prime of your life.’

‘Er, yeah.’ Ray patiently counted another five steps. ‘Fraser, you want to let go now?’

‘Oh, sorry, Ray.’ At last he did so. ‘It’s important to know that you have a fine and elegant pair of hips.’

‘Yeah, great,’ Ray said flatly. And he shook his head, having no idea whether that was Fraser just being as surprising and innocent as he always was, or it was a result of the concussion.

The man was silent now, having spent most of the morning rattling on about topics both relevant and not.

Ray, having wished for peace, found he now missed that communication no matter how wacky. ‘Ma was always a wonder with pasta, of course,’ he began, picking up a previous wistful thread. ‘There was this dinner she could whip up in quarter of an hour flat. We’d come home wet and exhausted on a cold winter day, and we’d barely have time to have a hot shower and get changed before it would be on the table. Fusilli pasta with spinach and walnuts and mushrooms, and just the right amount of chilli. Warmed us up on the inside like nothing else could.’

No response. Except that a hand brushed over Ray’s butt, briefly caressing the shape of it. Ray frowned, deciding to assume for now that the contact had been accidental. But within a moment or two the Mountie was boldly feeling those most personal of curves with both hands.

‘Fraser! What the hell are you doing now?’

‘Well, I can’t _see_, Ray.’

‘So?!’

‘I was curious to discover whether your _derriere_ is as fine as your hips.’

‘Well, stop it! For God’s sake, Fraser…’

‘Sorry, Ray.’ And for once the Mountie actually sounded contrite. The hands were withdrawn, taking their warmth with them.

Ray counted three steps. ‘So, is it?’

‘What?’

‘Is it as fine?’

‘Oh, yes. Very nice.’ And the hands returned, palms and fingers laying down a bold search pattern. ‘It’s as beautiful as a firm yet ripe peach.’

‘Whoa!’ Ray cried, rather startled by not only the subject matter but also the Mountie’s approach to it. ‘Hands off, and no biting into my butt, OK?’

Fraser giggled like a mischievous child, and patted out a rhythm on Ray’s behind before again withdrawing his hands. Then he burst into verse. ‘_What wondrous life is this I lead! Ripe apples drop about my head; The luscious clusters of the vine Upon my mouth do crush their wine; The nectarine, and curious peach, Into my hands themselves do reach; Stumbling on melons, as I pass, Ensnared with flowers, I fall on grass._’

‘God, now you’re waxing lyrical about peaches…’

‘That’s from _The Garden_ by Andrew Marvell, Ray.’

‘Oh, very nice, I’m sure.’

Another contented gurgle, and then a pause as if the Mountie had just had an idea. With completely transparent slyness, Fraser asked, ‘Can we stop for a drink? I’m thirsty.’

‘Sure, but only a mouthful or two, OK? Because we don’t have all that much.’ Ray wandered on until he located a bare patch of dirt without too many rocks or trees, and they collapsed in a heap, Ray having been unable to discover an easy way of getting Fraser down off his shoulder. ‘Are you all right?’ he asked, scrambling to make sure Fraser hadn’t been hurt in the fall.

‘I’m just wonderful, Ray.’

‘Good.’ Ray got the fellow sitting up. Fraser certainly seemed happy enough, smiling away in Ray’s general direction, those sightless blue eyes following his every move. Ray found a fresh bottle of Evian in his pack, took a mouthful himself, then put it in Fraser’s hand, making sure the man held it firmly. ‘Now don’t drink much, OK, we have to save some for later.’

‘Yes, Ray.’ Fraser drank about a third of the bottle, and obediently handed it back. It seemed his befuddled mind was really fixed on something else, and he wasn’t too concerned about his thirst.

‘How are you feeling?’

‘Better than I have for a long long time, Ray. How are you?’

Ray sighed, not believing that the man was actually getting better. ‘I’m feeling fine, Benny.’

‘Yes, you do feel fine to me.’

Strange to see Fraser like this. Ray had never realised how guarded those blue eyes usually were, until now when they were so open and guileless. There was speculation on the Mountie’s face, but it was so obvious that it felt utterly non-threatening to Ray, who was usually all too wary of the Mountie’s more veiled manipulations. And Fraser seemed so _aware_ – it took a moment for Ray to remember that the man was blind, for Fraser’s face was turned to Ray as if seeking him with all five senses. Six senses, if you counted the Mountie’s odd way of reading minds.

And it was safe to look back at him, to really see Benton Fraser and to let that gaze search Ray Vecchio, for the man could see nothing – safe, yes, though it was still unnerving. A moment of complete stillness eased by.

And a cloud passed over that unguarded expression. ‘Ray… Where are you?’

‘Right here, Benny.’

‘I couldn’t hear you. I can _always_ hear you, Ray.’

A hand wandered out in the cop’s direction. Ray caught it in his, but apparently grasping Ray’s hand wasn’t enough – Fraser pushed further, looking anxious. Ray brought the hand to his chest, held it against his heart. ‘I’m here, Benny. I’m here with you.’

The man smiled, as delighted and changeable as a child. His other hand unerringly found Ray’s face, boldly and gently explored its contours.

‘What are you doing?’ Ray whispered. He couldn’t snap at this man, his friend, who was currently one sandwich short of a picnic.

‘You know, you’re a very handsome man, Ray.’

‘Yeah, right. Now I _know_ you’re out of your mind. Don’t go operating heavy machinery, driving cars or signing legal documents.’

‘It’s true! That you’re handsome, I mean. I’ve always thought so.’

Ray closed his eyes. ‘Benny,’ he said, trying not to betray how much this hurt, ‘don’t say things like that, OK?’ Though he couldn’t find it in him to push the blessing of those hands away.

Fraser gave a breathless little giggle, and then Ray’s eyes flew open – he was being kissed on the mouth by the Mountie. A long moment of sweet and eager lips before Ray pulled away.

‘What are you doing?’ Ray asked in anguish.

‘Well, I do believe I’m kissing you.’ Delight, and the lightest of ironies, and innocence. As if there was nothing at all wrong with such a notion. The Mountie leaned in again, pressed that smiling mouth to Ray’s, moved his lips enticingly.

Utterly bewildered, Ray let him. Well, the only way to stop him would be by physical force, and that wasn’t fair. Fraser had no idea what he was doing, his elevator wasn’t reaching the top floor, and Ray needed to take care of him. Which seemed to mean that for now Ray should accept Fraser’s gentle and enthusiastic kisses, he should let those inquisitive hands explore his face and throat.

It was nice, Ray decided after a time, it was nice being kissed by this man. Easy to decide that after spending a strange and sweet time simply sitting there allowing Fraser to charm the hell out of him. The Mountie was behaving quite whimsically, really, as if the mountain air was champagne and he’d breathed in a little too deeply. Lovely. And completely nuts.

But then the Mountie tried to shift closer to the cop, and found that he couldn’t. Fraser stared down at his useless legs, and fear fell through that vulnerable face.

‘Oh,’ Ray found himself moaning in despair for his friend. He reached for Fraser, took his arms in firm grasp. ‘It’s OK, Benny, it’s all right. You’ve still got me to carry you.’

Fraser stared at him, sightless and a little wild – then he sought the reassurance he needed by tucking his head against Ray’s shoulder.

Gathering him up, Ray cuddled the man close. ‘It’s going to be fine. We’ll get back to civilisation, and find a doctor, and we’ll get you fixed up good as new.’ Long moments of quiet passed. ‘I’ve never seen you scared before,’ Ray said – then he shut up, for there was no point in spooking the man further. It was true, though. Fraser did get scared, of course, for the Mountie wasn’t stupid, but he never ever showed it. Which only scared Ray the more now.

Gentlest of whispers against Ray’s chest – ‘You’re the best friend I ever had, Ray.’

‘Me, too, Benny. Me, too.’

♦

They found the river, and drank their fill of the most beautiful water on the planet. Ray lost the inflatable raft, which wasn’t such a great thing, but then Fraser got Ray to protract his lumbar or some such thing, and the Mountie regained the use of his legs. They were still a long long way from home, but they were doing all right. ‘Let’s get a move on,’ Ray suggested, glad that Fraser wouldn’t need to be carried any more. ‘You think we might find a road this afternoon sometime?’

‘Perhaps. Where’s the blanket, Ray?’

‘With the rest of the stuff.’ Ray led the Mountie over to where they’d dropped the bags. ‘I don’t know, I packed it in here somewhere.’ He sorted through until he located the woollen blanket, grubby now from being slept on in the dirt.

‘Come on,’ Fraser said, full of serious purpose. ‘We need a flat location away from these rocks.’

‘Why?’ Ray asked. Fraser put a hand on his shoulder, and pushed to indicate Ray should lead on. ‘We’re not heading down the river yet? Or up the river,’ the cop mused. ‘How do you tell which direction to go, Benny?’

‘If you know the terrain, and the likely inhabitants and their occupations, you make an informed decision.’

‘Which would be…?’

‘I don’t know, Ray. We will need to guess. But downstream should make for an easier path.’

‘Easier sounds good.’ Ray looked around at a little clearing he’d found amongst the trees. ‘OK, here we are. Almost level, no rocks.’

‘Spread the blanket out, Ray.’

Used to obeying that authoritative tone, the cop did so. Then Fraser took Ray’s hand in his, and tugged him down so that they both ended up sitting on the blanket. ‘What are we doing?’ Ray asked.

It had been a genuinely innocent question, for the cop was used to trusting the Mountie implicitly, and had assumed there was a good reason for all this. Dropping that Mountie efficiency, though, Fraser giggled mischievously in response. And reached a hand to locate Ray’s face.

‘Ah, no, Benny…’ He didn’t have the chance to protest further, for Fraser’s mouth covered his in an enthusiastic kiss. Poignantly sweet, it was, but after a moment Ray pushed the man away as gently as he could. ‘Benny, you know we need to keep moving and get to a road, find a town. I need you to help me with that, OK? That’s something we have to do together. So, can we go and do that now?’

‘Half an hour won’t make any difference,’ Fraser said, for all the world like a child arguing for a treat. ‘We’ll be all right, Ray. Let’s have some fun.’

‘Fun? Like what?’

A moment of slight embarrassment and utter amusement. ‘You know… I thought we could make love.’

‘What!’ Ray cried. Too loudly, for Fraser flinched away. ‘Oh, it’s all right, Benny,’ Ray quickly added in reassurance, reaching one hand to pat at his shoulder. ‘I didn’t mean to startle you. You’re just full of surprises today.’

‘We don’t get to have fun very often.’

Echoing the tone, Ray muttered, ‘And we never get to eat ice cream cones neither…’ Fraser seemed wounded by the teasing. ‘Benny, you’ve been hit on the head, you know that, OK? You’re disoriented. You’re doing and saying things you wouldn’t normally do. Or say.’

An encouraging smile. ‘Yes, I understand that, Ray. I believe we should take advantage of the situation.’

‘What?’ This sounded like such a reasonable argument, Ray was thrown all over again. He wasn’t dealing with a child here. ‘Is that what you honestly think? I mean, if you meant that, then it’s the bravest thing you’ve ever said.’

Fraser answered by leaning in and kissing him.

Really sweet. Very pleasant. Stirring hungers in Ray that hadn’t seen the light of day for way too long. Something innocent about it, which surely must have been a result of the head injury, for Ray had given up believing in Fraser’s sexual innocence after the Mountie had spent all those days and nights with Victoria.

Ray found himself being eased back to lie on the blanket, Fraser leaning over him, kissing Ray as if it was the loveliest thing the Mountie had ever done. Could Fraser possibly have kissed Victoria like this? Surely not. Too charmed and charming for a woman like her.

So tempting just to reach for this man and make the loving happen, but that wouldn’t be fair. Ray let the sun’s warmth and his own lassitude ebb through him, and put his hands out of trouble beneath his head as if pillowing it. Simply let the Mountie do what he wanted to do. Which seemed to involve endless delighted exploratory kisses. Nice, very nice.

‘Ray…’ Fraser eventually complained, ‘you’re not having fun yet.’

‘We’re doing fine, Benny, I’m having fun.’

‘No, I want you to make love with me, too.’ The Mountie had drawn away a little, a frown clouding those blind blue eyes. Fraser’s hands skimmed Ray’s face, perhaps trying to read his expression.

‘Well, you know, if you remember this when we get back to Chicago…’

‘Yes…?’

‘And if you regret it…’

‘I won’t regret it, Ray.’

‘I don’t want you to blame me. I don’t want you to think I took advantage.’

‘But I wouldn’t blame you,’ the poor fellow pleaded. Fraser located Ray’s hands, but didn’t tug at them, as Ray had expected him to – instead he ran his own hands back along Ray’s arms, quirked a smile, and proceeded to tickle Ray’s armpits.

Ray, of course, immediately curled up and tried to protect himself, inadvertently giggling like a mad thing. The Mountie made the most of it and hauled Ray into an embrace, and Ray decided to let himself be held.

‘Don’t you want to make love with me?’ Fraser whispered wistfully when they’d both calmed down, lying there next to each other with the Mountie’s arms firmly around the cop.

‘It’s not that I don’t want to.’

‘Have you been wanting to?’

Ray sighed, letting himself relax into Fraser’s embrace. The man was treating him so tenderly, as if he’d never been told how he was supposed to behave. ‘Truth? No, I haven’t. But I didn’t know it could be this sweet between two men. And I didn’t know that you’d be interested.’

‘If you’d known those things?’

Silence for a time. Fraser began running a gentle hand over Ray’s scalp, first ruffling the newly-short hair and then smoothing it. Difficult to say this, really, especially when Fraser was turning him on something awful. ‘Yeah, I would have wanted to.’

A smile grew on Fraser’s face, and bloomed contented.

Ray admitted, ‘I would have wanted it a lot.’

‘Then why won’t you make love with me now?’

‘Because I figure you wouldn’t want it if you were in your right mind. I mean, if we were back in Chicago, could it have happened there?’

The fellow whispered, ‘Do you think I have to be crazy to seduce you, Ray?’

‘Yes.’

‘Oh, Ray.’

Fraser sounded infinitely sad, which broke Ray’s heart, because it had been so good to see the man simply having fun – and what did Ray do? Instead of sharing that fun, Ray had hurt his friend. ‘Benny, you go ahead and do what you want to do, OK? You have your fun. I don’t mind. I’ll just pray to God that –’

When the silence stretched too long, Fraser asked, ‘What will you pray for?’

‘Your forgiveness.’

‘Is that what you want from me?’

Ray closed his eyes, even though Fraser couldn’t see him. ‘I’ll pray to God that you’ll still love me when you come to your senses.’

‘Do you think this is love, Ray?’

‘No!’ He groaned then, a groan so agonised that Fraser caught him up closer, full of worry. ‘But that’s all right,’ Ray gasped out when he could, ‘you never said _love_, I know. Just ignore that, I didn’t mean it.’

‘Yes, you did, Ray. And I do love you.’

‘And I can’t believe a word you say.’

Fraser grabbed Ray’s face in both hands, and made the cop meet his sightless gaze, forced him to confront Fraser’s sincerity. ‘This is the truth, Ray. Perhaps I couldn’t have told you the truth in Chicago.’

An echo of that groan, and Ray pulled the man close for a driven kiss. Desperate and needy, darkly beautiful and utterly doomed. Until those fingers began tickling him again, forcing Ray to break away. ‘What?’ he demanded. ‘What are you doing?’

‘I want us to have fun, Ray.’

‘Really,’ he said sourly. ‘Look, you can’t see yourself, Fraser. It’s completely inappropriate behaviour, all this giggling. Can’t you understand that I’m worried about you?’

‘Maybe it’s your seriousness that’s inappropriate, Ray.’

‘How can you say that? We might _die_ out here, and you want to play around like a child. Well, like a teenager with rampaging hormones.’

Fraser ran a forgiving hand back over Ray’s scalp. ‘Worry gets in the way of life, Ray, just like fear.’

‘God, _someone_ has to do the worrying around here.’

‘Then why don’t you let Diefenbaker worry for us? Then you can be free to do what you want to do.’

Ray stared at the man, perplexed. ‘Let the wolf worry?’

That hand began to massage his skin just above the nape of Ray’s neck. ‘Yes. Dief can worry about us surviving. Meanwhile, if you want to take care of me, Ray, then I suggest that you come here and take care of me.’

‘Oh.’ A long moment stretched. ‘Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me right now with that massage?’

‘No,’ the man replied, all innocence. ‘Why don’t you show me?’

Ray kissed Fraser again, but it was difficult to make the kiss sweet instead of tragic.

‘I’ll make you a promise,’ Fraser said once Ray had given up. ‘When we return to Chicago, I’ll tell you that I remember you prayed to God I’d still love you. Then you’ll know I wanted this.’

And the Mountie was so unguarded, those blue eyes so lucid. Ray said, ‘Yes. Yes, that’s a good promise.’

Fraser smiled, losing the mirrored seriousness. ‘Oh, maybe I should hit _you_ on the head…’ he suggested.

‘Yeah, I need to be crazy to be seduced by you, Benny.’

‘It’s your choice – a concussion, or a severe tickling.’

Ray let a laugh gather in him, and then ring out, reaching up to the blue sky. ‘Bet you’re more ticklish than me.’

‘I am not ticklish,’ the Mountie declared. ‘You can’t tickle me.’

‘Sure…’ And Ray jumped him. ‘Can’t believe a word you say,’ he said between the ensuing giggles. They rolled back and forth on the blanket, just mucking about, fingers exploring and mouths laughing or kissing. This was his, Ray figured in the middle of it, this bundle of delight was all his – and even if they never had sex again, for this short while Benny was Ray Vecchio’s to love.

‘You’re thinking, Ray.’

‘Sorry.’ He slipped a hand through loosened clothing to find the sensitive skin at Benny’s waist – ran provoking fingers just above the man’s waistband, then provided a flat-palmed rub down and around the small of Fraser’s back.

Fraser had squirmed at the tickling, but then his eyelids drooped and he smiled dreamily at the caress. ‘Well, obviously _one_ of us knows what he’s doing…’

Ray couldn’t help but answer the irony with a smile of his own, though he also worried over Fraser claiming a lack of experience. Had the man forgotten? ‘You’re doing fine, lover.’

‘You’re reassuring me again.’

‘And you’re acting daft as a bug.’ Ray planted a kiss on Fraser’s forehead. ‘Show me how to do this light-hearted, Benny.’

‘You don’t know how to do that?’

‘Nah… Sex has always been kind of serious for me. Serious or just answering a need.’ And he had to ask. ‘What was it like for you and Victoria?’

‘Oh,’ the man said, turning away a little to consider this. ‘Yes, serious,’ he replied at last. ‘Troubled. Difficult. Intense. But beautiful, nevertheless.’

There was Ray, ruining the fun again. ‘Hey,’ he murmured, lifting his free hand to that beautiful face. ‘Come back here and show me how to make it fun, lover. I want to learn that.’

The Mountie focussed on Ray again, searching him with every sense but sight. A smile grew on Benny’s lips as he leaned over his friend. Those hands captured Ray’s face, then slid back to massage his scalp as Benny kissed him. Which all felt incredible to the cop.

But he felt honour-bound to change the mood, so Ray broke away to nibble at the Mountie’s ear, then whispered, ‘First one to come has to make Diefenbaker giggle.’

A happy laugh greeted this proposed forfeit. ‘Oh, that’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard, Ray.’

‘Good.’ And Ray got the man into a solid hold, applied his fingers to Benny’s waist and his tongue to Benny’s earlobe until he had the man crying with laughter and begging for mercy.

♦

‘So how are you going to make the wolf giggle?’ Ray asked, sprawled contented on his back. Amazing how thoroughly they’d loved each other, given that it had mostly been ridiculous mucking about, topped off by the simplicity of a slow teasing hand-job. ‘Does Dief even have a sense of humour?’

‘Yes, though I’m afraid it’s not a very refined one.’ Fraser’s head weighed heavy on Ray, but the cop wasn’t inclined to make him move, given that the Mountie’s tongue kept darting out to mischievously lick at Ray’s chest hair. ‘I’ll tell him I’ve discovered it’s true what they say about the size of a man’s nose.’

Ray laughed in surprise. ‘Are you trying to flatter me now? I don’t know why I ever thought I knew who you are.’

‘You have a nose bold and beautiful, Ray, full of character.’

‘You’re going to wax lyrical about noses now?’

‘Oh.’ The Mountie sounded chagrined. ‘Well, the only quote that springs to mind might be taken as an insult.’

‘Sock it to me.’

‘It’s by H G Wells. _Bah! the thing is not a nose at all, but a bit of primordial chaos clapped on to my face_.’ Fraser seemed relieved when Ray let out a hearty laugh at this. ‘Yours is the proudest bit of chaos I’ve ever seen,’ Benny declared.

‘Yeah, well, yours is the most perfectly-shaped proboscis I’ve ever seen.’

‘Are we talking noses or are we extending the metaphor?’

Ray smiled, letting the sun and Benny warm him through and through. ‘Well, with a nose like this I can wake up and smell the coffee… in _Brazil_.’

Fraser lifted his head to face Ray. ‘And with a metaphor like this you can wake up and… do what?’

‘We get back to Chicago, I’ll show you.’

‘That’s a good promise, Ray.’

‘Imagine you talking dirty to me, Benny… Hey, we’ll both be a bit crazier, right?’

‘Curiouser and crazier,’ the Mountie murmured.

Benton Fraser was smiling that really genuine little smile of his, and Ray couldn’t help but kiss him for it. ‘Yeah, curiouser and crazier,’ Ray Vecchio vowed.

♦


End file.
